The present invention relates to a pepper grinding tool, and more particularly, to a pepper grinding tool which has a sideways projecting lever capable of being operated with one hand for grinding the pepper.
Referring to FIG. 5, a conventional pepper grinding tool includes a main body 10, a turnable member 20 turnably arranged on the main body 10, and a grinding assembly 30 received in the main body 10 and connected to the turnable member 20. The user holds the main body 10 with one hand, and turns the turnable member 20 with the other so as to grind the pepper received in the grinding assembly 30. However, the user doesn""t have a free hand to do other actions while using such tool to grind pepper because he/she has to hold the main body 10 with one end and turn the turnable member 20 with the other, therefore such tool would cause the user in the kitchen inconvenience.
To overcome this disadvantage, several pepper grinding tools have been proposed that can be operated with a single hand. Such tools are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,749, and in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,730,374 and 5,988,543, which disclose earlier improvements made by the inventor of the present invention.
However, all of the above mentioned tools operated with a single hand are upright when they are used, and have relatively complicated structure. No pepper grinding tool operated with a single hand is provided with a laid-down in-use position.
Therefore, it is a main object of the present invention to provide a pepper grinding tool, which can be operated for grinding pepper with a single hand and is at a laid-down position when it is used.
The pepper grinding tool includes a housing consisting of both an upper part and a lower part, a lever, a grinding assembly and an one-way member.
The housing parts each has a first portion and a second elongated portions projecting sideways from the first portions. The elongated portions have a lateral opening formed therebetween.
The lever has teeth on a front end facing the first portions, and is pivoted to front portions of the elongated portions at an intermediate portion with a rear portion being biased outwardly of the lateral opening by a first spring.
The one-way member has a round main body which is turnably received in the first portions of the housing, and has teeth on an outer side abutting the teeth of the lever. The main body is connected to a shaft in such a way as to not turn the shaft together with it when the lever is pushed inwardly of the second portions to force the main body to turn counterclockwise, and to be capable of turning the shaft together with the main body when the main body is turned clockwise.
The grinding assembly includes an outer grinding element secured in the second portion of the lower housing part, and an inner grinding element, which is turnably received in the outer element and connected to the lower end of the shaft. Thus, the inner element can be turned relative to the outer element to grind pepper therebetween when the lever is pushed inwardly of the second portion and released repeatedly.